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US Airways flights to change terminals at LAX

An American Airlines plane and a US Airways plane at parked at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. On Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013, the Justice Department said it reached an agreement to allow the merger of the two airlines. Susan Walsh/AP

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US Airways is moving its operations at Los Angeles International Airport from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3.

Tuesday's late night departures and arrivals will be US Airways' last at Terminal 1. Starting Wednesday morning, travelers on US Airways flights into and out of LAX will use Terminal 3. The US Airways ticket counter will be located on the east end of Terminal 3, and the baggage service office will be located on the east side of the Lower/Arrivals Level.

Last December, US Airways and American Airlines completed a merger that created American Airlines Group, Inc. The merger took nearly a year to complete and required a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. When their merger was announced, the airlines said they expected the process of fully combining their operations to take between 18 and 24 months. In the meantime, they continue to run separate websites, reservations systems and loyalty programs.

American Airlines' operations at LAX are at Terminal 4, so the U.S. Airways move brings the two a little closer, even if they are still separated in the airport's horseshoe configuration by the Tom Bradley International Terminal. A new shuttle service will operate between Terminals 3 and 4, allowing passengers on both airlines to move between the two terminals without leaving and having to pass back through security. The service will also give members of the US Airways Club easier access to the American Airlines Admirals Club in Terminal 4. The US Airways Club in Terminal 1 will no longer operate.

Los Angeles World Airports spokeswoman Amanda Parsons said at Terminal 1, US Airways had three preferential gates and shared common use gates with Southwest and AirTran. At Terminal 3, Parsons said, US Airways will have only one preferential gate. It will share the terminal with JetBlue, Allegiant, Frontier, Spirit, Virgin America and the departures of Virgin Australia.

Between them, American Airlines and US Airways now provide 175 daily departures to 54 destinations in seven countries/territories from LAX, according to a statement from airport officials, and the new company now employs nearly 5,000 people in the Los Angeles area.

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